An online site for the western collector of antique bottles, gold rush collectables and early western material culture

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Happy Independence Day

Downieville 1851

The 4th of
July in 1851 was celebrated in Downieville with the fanfare and celebration that was common for a California Gold Rush mining camp. Drinking, gunfire, gambling, parades and patriotic speeches were all part of a 4th of July bill of fare. A miner by the name of Jack Cannon, having consumed his share of celebration, found himself at the cabin of a young Mexican girl by the name of Juanita. History does not record the exact circumstance of their confrontation but is reported that Cannon and Juanita exchanged heated words and was harassing her before he was chased away.

About 10 o'clock the next morning the cry of 'murder!' came
up the river. Everybody was running toward town. At the scene of the action a vast throng was surrounding a large tent, and within, a miner was
lying dead.

The dead miner was Jack Cannon. He was drunk the
night before (the Fourth of July) and accidentally or on purpose fell into the
door of a Mexican miner named Jose and his wife Josefa (later this evolved into
Juanita). Cannon returned the next morning to make amends and spoke to the
husband and wife in Spanish. A Mr. V.C. McMurry saw a highly aggitated Josefa
fly into a terrible rage. She suddenly plunged a Bowie knife into Cannon's
breast bone and into his heart.

Cannon fell dead into the street and friends carried him into his tent on what is now the Downieville Brewery property. Word spread quickly of the murder and Josefa (Juanita) was apprehended
in the Craycroft saloon.

A trial was held in the main plaza with a hastily selected judge, jury and
lawyers for both sides. Every statement or testimony for Josefa was ignored. The trial lasted 4 hours with Josefa being found guilty. She was taken to her
home and given 2 hours to put her affairs in order.

At the given time she was taken to the gallows. She confessed she had killed
Cannon and was willing to suffer the consequences for it. She adjusted the rope
around her own neck let her hair fall free. Her arms and clothes were tied
down, a cap put over her face and she was hung. The only woman ever hanged in California.